Medical Debt is a Public Health Crisis
Overview
September 21, 2023 | 1 – 2:30 p.m. ET
Medical debt is a social determinant of health affecting millions of people in the U.S. with far-reaching impacts. This debt burden, including aggressive collection practices, threatens individuals’ physical, mental, and financial health. Even those who owe relatively small amounts must often choose between paying the debt or for food, housing, utilities, prescriptions, and other needs. Medical debt creates health inequities by exacerbating racial, economic, and other disparities. Because those with insurance also incur debt, addressing the impacts of medical debt will require more than expanding health insurance coverage.
Attend this webinar to understand how and why medical debt is a public health crisis; how communities are differently impacted; and the upstream and downstream law and policy solutions to eliminating medical debt burden and improving health.
By attending this webinar, you will:
- Understand how medical debt is a social determinant of health
- Gain insight into how medical debt contributes to health disparities
- Learn about innovative policy strategies to address medical debt
- Obtain knowledge of legal strategies to address medical debt, including aggressive debt collection practices
Moderator:
- April Shaw, Ph.D., J.D., Senior Staff Attorney, Health Equity, Network for Public Health Law
Speakers:
- Priscilla Thomas-Keith, M.S, J.D., Vice President, Program Management, RIP Medical Debt
- Naman Shah, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Division of Medical and Dental Affairs, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
- Eva Stahl, Ph.D., M.A., Vice President, Public Policy, RIP Medical Debt
- Jenifer Bosco, J.D., Senior Attorney, National Consumer Law Center
Related
State and Local Efforts to Declare Racism a Public Health Crisis – Western Region Update
Equitable and Effective Data Sharing to Support Healthy Transitions for Youth During Reentry
